If you remember Bristol's main concert hall as Colston Hall, it's now called Bristol Beacon, and it reopened on 30 November 2023 after a five-year, roughly £132 million transformation. The name change and the rebuild are two separate stories that happened to land at the same time, and both are worth knowing before you book tickets.
From Colston Hall to Bristol Beacon
The hall was built in 1867 and named Colston Hall after Edward Colston, the Bristol-born merchant whose wealth came substantially from the transatlantic slave trade. It hosted major acts for over a century, including the Rolling Stones, the Who, Queen and Led Zeppelin, but the Colston name became increasingly contested, especially after the 2020 toppling of Colston's statue in the city centre.
In September 2020, mid-way through the venue's closure for redevelopment, Bristol Music Trust announced the hall would reopen under a new name, Bristol Beacon, to end its association with Colston. The building itself kept its Victorian bones; it's the name and the interior that changed.
The rebuild
The venue closed in 2018 for what became a five-year renovation, eventually costing around £132 million, well beyond the original budget and timeline. The project rebuilt the main auditorium's acoustics and infrastructure, working with acoustician Bob Essert and architects Levitt Bernstein, and added new performance spaces that didn't exist under the Colston Hall name. It finally reopened on 30 November 2023.
What's inside now
| Space | What it's for | Approx. capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hall | The main auditorium, international-standard acoustics | Around 1,800 seated, 2,100 standing |
| Lantern Hall | Mid-size performances | Around 500 |
| The Cellars | Subterranean performance space and education centre | Around 200 |
| Bridgehouse | Entrance hall, reconfigurable for events | Varies |
Beacon Hall is the venue's flagship space and where most touring artists and orchestras play. Lantern Hall and The Cellars host smaller gigs, comedy and community and education programmes, and Bridgehouse, the entrance foyer, can itself be turned into a performance space for smaller events.
Is it the same as Bristol's other music venues?
No. Bristol Beacon is a formal concert hall built for acoustics and seated performances, distinct from the city's club and gig-venue scene at places like Thekla, Motion or the O2 Academy, which is covered in the Bristol nightlife guide. Beacon is where you'd expect an orchestra, a big-name solo artist on a seated tour, or a large-scale choral performance, rather than a late club night.
Getting there
Bristol Beacon sits in the city centre, within walking distance of the Harbourside, Old City and Cabot Circus. There's no dedicated venue parking, and the surrounding area falls inside Bristol's Clean Air Zone, so check the Bristol parking guide if you're driving in, or use getting around Bristol for bus and rail options instead.
FAQs
Is Colston Hall still called that? No, it was renamed Bristol Beacon in September 2020 and reopened under that name in November 2023.
Why did Colston Hall change its name? To end its association with Edward Colston, a Bristol merchant whose wealth came substantially from the transatlantic slave trade.
When did Bristol Beacon reopen? 30 November 2023, after a five-year renovation costing around £132 million.
What is the capacity of Bristol Beacon's main hall? Beacon Hall holds around 1,800 seated or 2,100 standing.
Is Bristol Beacon the same building as before? Yes, the Victorian building from 1867 remains, but the interior, acoustics and performance spaces were substantially rebuilt.
Where is Bristol Beacon located? In Bristol city centre, within walking distance of the Harbourside and Cabot Circus, with no dedicated on-site parking.